Ready-reference card index holder



Nev. 30, 1948. Q, TURNER READY-REFERENCE CARD INDEX HOLDER Filed May 13, 1946.

Patented Nov. 30, 1948 i N H TEE STATE-TS O F F ICE READY-REFERENCE CARD INDEX HGLDER Quilla Earner; Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Application May 13, 1946, Serial No. 669,330

r i l My invention consists of a ready-reference card index holder particularly designed for placing upon desks or attaching to walls for the rapid projection of alphabetically arranged cards bearing telephone numbers and like data which are frequently referred to, a particular object of the construc-tion hereinafter to be described being to provide a holder which is of conspicuously simple construction, which can be made of very slender transverse dimensions in actual manufacture, and which will function to elevate a card to maximum height by means of short-throw motion-multiplying means together with means for automatically returning the card to the holder upon release of an associated key.

With the foregoing objects in view, and such other objects and advantages as will become ap parent to those skilled in the art to which this nvention relates as this specification proceeds, my invention consists essentially in the arrangement and construction of parts all as hereinafter more particularly described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation in partly fragmentary form of my ready-reference card index holder.

Figure 2 is a plan of my holder but of exaggerated transverse dimensions for clarity of illustration.

Figure 3 is an elevational section of the line 33 of Figure 2.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.

My invention comprises a case I having front and rear walls 2 and 3 respectively, together with side walls d and 5 on which are positioned vertically disposed, spaced and parallel guides 6 and 'l in the form of pairs of channels for the vertical movement therein of a plurality of rectangular and three-sided card holding frames 3, the cards held therein being designated 9.

To enclose the aforesaid case a cover it is provided having a plurality of longitudinally extending, spaced and parallel slots ll therein through which may be vertically projected, my card holding frames 8 as clearly indicated in Figure 1.

Upon one side of my case I and coterminous or continuous is what I designate as a key boxing l 2 having a two-stepped and apertured cover l3, through the apertures i i of which project the individual keys iii of a staggered step.

The keys 5 5 are held in vertical position by the secondary plate It within the interior of my key boxing, and from Figure 2 it will be seen that the bevelled keys bear the letters of the alphabet corresponding to the card mechanically connected thereto, and ifdesired a key if may be provided for emergency references such as the telephone number of the local police force, fire brigade and ambulance. I i

Connected indiv-iduallyan-d independently to each frame and connected to one or other of my keys I5 is a frame elevating action collectively designated l8, such action comprisinga lever IQ of the first class, such lever being normally inclined and biassed to the position of Figure 3 by the spring 20.

The set of levers l9 are pivoted for vertical rotation upon the common transversely extending haft 2! which is also encircled by the springs 2t, one end 22 of each spring being hooked around the lower left hand end of the associated lever 19, while the other end 22 bears against the portion 23 of plate It.

Secured centrally to the side 24 of each of y frames 8 is a wing portion 25 to which is pivotally connected one end of a link 26, the opposite end of said link being connected to the remaining end of lever I!) by means of the stud 2i.

From all the foregoing it will be apparent that when one or other of my keys I?) is depressed, the associated lever 19 will rotate clockwise (with respect to the acompany-ing Figures 1 and 3) to move the associated frame vertically and edgewise in the plane of the card therein as per Figure 1 until the pair of projecting stops 28 on the side 24 of each frame comes up against the under side of cover It.

It will be observed that every alternate lever 29 is somewhat longer than the lever next adjacent thereto, the longer levers 29 being connected with the row of keys projecting through the lower stepped portion 30 of plate 53. It is also to be understood that sufficient tolerance is provided in the apertures I l and in the apertures 3| of the levers I9; and 29 to allow for lateral displacement of the keys due to the arcuate swing of the levers l9 and 29 in the downward movement at the right hand ends (with respect to the ac-- companying Figures 1 and 3).

As an optional but useful feature which may be added to the foregoing assembly is a lock 32 for sustaining a given card frame 8 in the elevated position of Figure 1 by friction, this lock consisting of a transversely extending and donble angulated rod adjacent the right hand ends of slots II and mounted for rotation as indicated by arrow 33 in a pair of bearings 34 and 35 upon the upward flicking of key 36. All that is necessary to place the aforesaid lock in out-of-use only such limitations placed thereon as are spe cifically expressed in the accompanying claim.

What I claim as my invention is:

A ready-reference card index: holder comprising in combination a case having side walls, a cover provided with a plurality of longitudinally extending, spaced and parallel slots therein, a plurality of vertically disposed, parallel and spaced index card holding frames within said case, guides on 20 said side walls to receive said frames, a key-boxing on one side of said case and coterminous therewith, said key-boxing having a two-stepped and apertured cover-plate, vertically disposed and depressible keys in staggered array projecting through said plate, an individual and independent frame elevating action extending between each of said frames and each of said keys consisting of a normally inclined and biassed lever of the first class connected at one end to a key, a link centrally attached to the lower horizontal side of said frame and to the opposite end of one of said levers, said actions facilitating the selective elevation of a given frame in the plane of the card therein upon the application of a downward efiort upon the associated key, and means for locking one of said frames upon the elevation thereof, said means comprisin a horizontal lying and double-angulated rod adjacent the ends of said slots, bearings for said rod, and a key for rotating said rod connected thereto, all as and for the purpose specified.

QUlLLA T. TURNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 595,129 Neuner Dec. 7, 1897 1,367,030 Faith et a1. Feb. 1, 1921 

